


But I'm just a traveler in time, trying so hard to pay for my crime

by SapphicBlossxm



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl and Jughead are friends, Cheryl is Chloe, Childhood Friends, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, Time Travel, Toni is Max, k bye
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:56:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26243026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicBlossxm/pseuds/SapphicBlossxm
Summary: Toni's world is flipped upside down when she figures out that she can rewind time in the middle of a school day. (READ NOTES)
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Veronica Lodge/Josie McCoy
Kudos: 15





	But I'm just a traveler in time, trying so hard to pay for my crime

**Author's Note:**

> TW!!/Guns and mentions of death. So please tread carefully.Hey! So, this idea just came to me and I REALLY wanted to write it. Even if you haven't played Life is Stranger, which you definitely should, you can still follow along. There will be some mention of blood and violence throughout the story so please read at your own risk. Please bare with me! I just started school today and school gives me depression teehee so I'll try to update as much as possible! This chapter is a bit shorter then the others will be so get ready for that! Enjoy and leave your thought in the comments!

The sky lit up as the lighting cracked brightly. The wind grows stronger, trees wave and leaves fall. On the trail near the lighthouse, lies a small girl. As she wakes up, rain pours and streams down her face.

_ “Where am I? What’s happening?”  _ The girl lifts herself up  _ “I’m trapped in a storm? How did I get here? … and where is here?” _

The frantic girl stumbles as she looks around to try to find something that can point out where ‘here’ actually is. The girl squints due to a bright light entering her vision.

_ “Wait… There’s the lighthouse… I’ll be safe if I can make it there.”  _ She sighs as if she’s out of breath  _ “I hope… Please let me make it there.” _

She lifts her hand to block the rain from hitting her face as she walks up the path. She reaches the lighthouse and sees a tornado approaching Riverdale; a small town on the east coastline.

“Holy shit.” The brunette whispered 

The tornado blows up a boat, which hits the lighthouse and breaks it in two. The upper portion starts to fall on the girl.

“Whoa! No!”

The girl wakes up and examines her surroundings. She’s sitting at her desk in class. Her teacher, Mr. Evernever, lecturing the class. Photography class… of course.

“ _ Woah! That was so surreal.” _

The man continues his lecture “Alfred Hitchcock… Famously called film, ‘Little Pieces of Time,’ but he could be talking about photography, as he likely was-”

“ _ Okay… I’m in class”  _ She pauses and looks around again. Her classmate, Betty Cooper, drops her pen onto the floor and reaches down to pick it up.

“ _ Everything’s cool… I’m okay.”  _ She faces the teacher in the middle of the room

“These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow; from color to chiaroscuro…”

She looks over to another classmate, Ethel Muggs, and sees a paper ball, which was thrown by Veronica Lodge, hit the side of her face. Mr. Evernever continues his lecture.

“Now, can you give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human condition in black in white? Anybody? Bueller?”

In the silence, you can hear Josie’s phone vibrate.

The small girl is still puzzled by what happened moments ago. “ _ I didn’t fall asleep, and… that sure didn’t feel like a dream… Weird.” _

“Diane Arbus.” Josie answered

“There you go, Josie! Why Arbus?”

“Because of her images of boneless faces. You feel totally haunted by the eyes of those sad mothers and children.”

“She saw humanity as tortured, right?” He added on “And frankly, it’s bullshit. Shh, keep that to yourself. Seriously though, I could frame anyone of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation. And anyone of you could do that to me. Isn’t that too easy? Too obvious? What if Arbus chose to capture people at the height of their beauty or innocence? She had a brilliant eye, so she could have taken another approach.”

Josie spoke again. “I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of her work. I prefer… Robert Frank.”

“Me too, Josie” The teacher agreed. “He captured the essence of post-war, beat America. And there was honesty about the economic conditions of the era, but a beauty in the struggle. You don’t have beauty without a beat. Which explains why Frank was Kerouac’s photographic muse and both were great.

The girl's mind fades out of the lecture and back into her mind. She starts thinking about her entry photo for the everyday heroes contest. She pulls it out of her journal

“ _ Look at this crap! How can I show this to Mr. Evernever? I can hear the class laughing at me now.” _

She reaches into her bag and grabs her camera and accidentally takes a picture of herself.

“Shh. I believe Toni has taken what you kids call a ‘selfie’... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Toni… has a gift. Of course, as you all know, the photo portrait has been popular since the early 1800’s. Your generation was not the first to use ‘selfie expression.’ Sorry. I couldn’t resist. The point remains that the portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography as long as it’s been around. Now, Toni, since you’ve captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?”

“You’re asking me?” Toni asks “I did know!... But I kinda forgot.”

“You either know this or not, Ms.Topaz.” He says angrily “Is there anybody here who knows their stuff?”

Josie speaks up. “Louis Daguerre was a French Painter who created “daguerreotypes” a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror.” With a subtle grin, Josie turns to Toni. “Now you’re totally stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad Face.” Josie’s friend, Veronica Lodge, laughs.

“ _ Bitch.” _ Toni thought to herself.

“Very good, Josie. The Daguerreian Process brought out fine detail in peoples’ faces, making them popular from the 1800’s onward. The first American daguerreotype self-portrait was done by Robert Cornelius. You can find out all about him… In your textbook. Or even... online.”

Mr. Evernever’s sentence is concluded with the bell sounding off.

“And guys, Don’t forget the deadline to submit a photo in the ‘Everyday Heroes’ contest. I’ll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you’ll be feted by the art world. It’s great exposure, and it can kickstart a career in photography. So, Betty and Melody, get it together. Veronica, don’t hide. I’m still waiting on your entry, too. And yes, Toni, I see you pretending not to see me.

Josie follows Mr. Evernever to his desk as students leave the classroom.

“ _ Josie doesn’t waste a second kissing ass.”  _ Toni says to herself

Toni walks over to Ethel to check on her after the stunt Josie pulled.

“Hi, Ethel.”

“Oh, hi Toni. Today has been a long day” Ethel mumbles

“I hear that. Want to go grab a cup of tea and bitch about life?” 

“Thanks, but not today. I have to go over homework.” Ethel mumbles again with a frown

“No worries. Let’s hang later”

“Sure.”

Max steps away from Ethel and goes to leave the room.

“I see you, Toni Topaz. Don’t even think about leaving here until we talk about your entry.”

“ _ Fuuuck”  _ Toni mentally sighs and approaches Mr. Evernever.

“I’d never let one of photography’s future stars avoid handing in her picture.”

“Do I have to?” Toni replied “I just don’t think it’s that big a deal.

“Toni, you’re a better photographer than a liar… Now I know it’s a drag to hear some old dude lecture you… but life won;t wait for you to play catch-up. You’re young, the world is yours, blah blah blah, right? But you do have a gift, you have the fever to take images, to frame the world only the way you envision it. Now, all you need is the courage to share your gift with others. That’s what separates the artist from the amateur.” The conversation ends and Toni leaves the classroom.

In the hallway, Toni leans against the wall.

“ _ Welcome to the real world…” _

Kevin and Fangs walk across the hallway and wave at Toni. She waves back. They all used to be friends but fell apart after a while.

“ _ I need a serious timeout. In the bathroom. Splash water on my face and make sure I don’t look like a total loser.” _

Toni puts in her earbuds and the song ‘Lithium’ by Nirvana starts playing. As the song plays, Toni makes her way to the nearest women’s bathroom. Walking down the hallway, the small girl observes her surroundings. The class nerd, Archie Andrews, getting picked on by Reggie and the other bulldogs and Josie and her boyfriend, Chuck Clayton, flirt in the middle of the hallway.

“ _ The circus has come to town once again”  _ Toni jokes in her head.

Entering the bathroom, Toni takes off her earbuds

“ _ Empty. Good. Nobody can see my meltdown. Except for me.” _

Toni washes her face using one of the few sinks, then takes out her polaroid photo she took earlier in the week. It’s Toni with her back to the camera looking at what looks to be fairy lights hanging on her dorm room wall. It looks like something you’d see on Pinterest in the ‘Aesthetic’ area.

She glances down at the photo 

“ _ Just relax. Stop torturing yourself. You have a gift.”  _ She takes a moment…

“Fuck it” Toni rips the picture and drops it on the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Toni spots a blue butterfly sneaking in the window of the bathroom and it lands on a bucket which is probably used to clean the floors. Toni follows after.

“ _ When a door closes, a window opens… or some stupid shit like that. Okay girl, you don’t get a photo op like this everyday.” _

Toni approaches the butterfly and takes a photo of it. The butterfly takes off and lands at the sink. Chuck enters the bathroom with a nervous look, closing the door behind him. Toni hears the sound and turns around.

“It’s cool, Chuck… Don’t stress… You’re okay, bro. Just count to three… Don’t be scared… You own this school… If i wanted, I could blow it up… You’re the boss...   
  
As Chuck finishes talking to himself, another person enters the bathroom.

“ _ Do y’all really need to come in here now? You have like 10 different rooms at that big house of yours to go to for fucks sake.” _ Toni thinks to herself

“So what do you want?” Chuck asks the other person present in the bathroom.

“I hope you checked the perimeter, as my pain in the ass brother would say. Now, let's talk bidness-”

“ _ Its a girl?”  _ Toni asks herself

“I got nothing for you.”

“Wrong. You got hella cash.”

“That’s my family, not me.”

“Oh, boohoo, poor little rich kid. I know you’ve been pumping drugs and shit to kids around here… I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now-”

“ _ Damn… This girl has got some balls on her to be talking to Chuck Clayton like that…” _

“Leave them out of this, you bitch!’

“I can tell everybody Chuck Clayton is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-”

Before the girl can finish her sentence, Chuck pulls a gun and aims it at the girl. She backs up against the wall and Chuck stands in front of her, one arm on the wall and the other pointing the gun at her stomach.

“You don’t know who the fuck I am or who you’re messing around with!” Chuck exclaims with what sounds to be a cry.

“Where’d you get that? What are you doing? Come one, put that thing down!” The now frantic girl pleads. Toni’s heart is beating a mile a minute at this point.

“Don’t you EVER tell me what to do. I’m so SICK of people trying to control me!”

“You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-”

“Nobody would ever even miss your bitch ass would they?”

“Get that gun away from me, psycho!”

The girl pushes Chuck away and Chuck pulls the trigger, shooting the mystery girl in the stomach. Toni comes out from behind the stall.

“NO!” Toni screams as she reaches out her right hand. The gun and the girl fall on the ground in what feels like slow motion and everything becomes blurry. Her head starts spinning and it feels as if the ground is falling out from beneath her. Moments later, the whole sequence is reversed and Toni finds herself back in the same class she had just left before she went to the bathroom. Mr. Evernever is giving the same lecture about Alfred Hitcock or whatever the fuck he’s on about.

Toni looks around in awe. “ _ Whoa! What the fuck…? How- how can that be? I was in the bathroom... He shot that poor girl… I held up my hand… and then I was back here. _

“Alfred Hitchcock… Famously called film, ‘Little Pieces of Time,’ but he could be talking about photography, as he likely was”

Toni’s focus was interrupted by the sound of Betty’s pen dropping… Again.

“ _ I already heard this lecture.”  _ Toni is mentally screaming as she tries to comprehend what is happening

“These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow; from color to chiaroscuro…”

Veronica throws a paper ball at Ethel.

“ _ Now Ethel is being hassled again… and if Josie’s phone rings… This is real.” _

After a few moments… Josie’s phone rings. Toni knocks her camera off the desk and breaks it.

“ _ Shit! Man, I cannot believe this… Okay, if I’m crazy, which I totally am, I might as well go all the way… Can I actually reverse time?” _

“Now, can you give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human condition in black in white? Anybody? Bueller?”

“Diane Arbus.” Josie answered...again

“There you go, Josie! Why Arbus?”

“Because of her images of boneless faces. You feel totally haunted by the eyes of those sad mothers and children.”

Toni picks up her right hand again and rewinds time. Her camera is repaired and returns to its original place.

Toni looks down at her hand as she hears Evernever’s lecture one more time.

_ “I did it… I actually did it! I’m a human fucking time machine…” _

“Now, can you give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human condition in black in white? Anybody? Bueller?”

“ _ Toni, don’t freak out. Not yet.” Toni mentally kicks herself to stop herself from imploding _

“Diane Arbus.” Josie answered for the 3rd time.

“There you go, Josie! Why Arbus?”

“ _ Keep it together, Toni.” _

“Because of her images of boneless faces. You feel totally haunted by the eyes of those sad mothers and children.”

_ “When I took my selfie, Evernever asked me a question. If he does again, I’ll know this is for real.” _

“She saw humanity as tortured, right?” He added on “And frankly, it’s bullshit. Shh, keep that to yourself. Seriously though, I could frame anyone of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation. And anyone of you could do that to me. Isn’t that too easy? Too obvious? What if Arbus chose to capture people at the height of their beauty or innocence? She had a brilliant eye, so she could have taken another approach.”

Josie spoke again. “I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of her work. I prefer… Robert Frank.”

“Me too, Josie” The teacher agreed. “He captured the essence of post-war, beat America. And there was honesty about the economic conditions of the era, but a beauty in the struggle. You don’t have beauty without a beat. Which explains why Frank was Kerouac’s photographic muse and both were great.

Toni lifts her camera and takes the picture.

“Shh. I believe Toni has taken what you kids call a ‘selfie’... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Toni… has a gift”

“ _ I know I’m not dreaming this. It’s real. I can tell.”  _

  
  


“Of course, as you all know, the photo portrait has been popular since the early 1800’s. Your generation was not the first to use ‘selfie expression.’ Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” The teacher continues

“ _ So I can go back in time… What if that girl isn’t dead? Can I save her?” _

Mr. Evernever goes on with his lecture.

“The point remains that portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography, for as long as it’s been around.

“ _ I need to go to the bathroom and check it out!”  _ Toni looks at the clock and it indicates she still has about 10 minutes left in class.

“Now, Toni, since you’ve captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?”

_ “Well shit”  _ Toni thinks to herself “ _ Now what do I do?” _

“”Ms.Topaz? Care to answer the question?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. E, but I have to go to the bathroom.”

He giggles…

“Nice try, Toni. But you’re not gonna get away that easy. We can talk more after class.”

Toni shakes her head “ _ Oh shit, Evernever wants to keep me after class. And I need time to save that girl… _

“Is there anybody here who knows their stuff?” Evernever asks the class

  
  


“Louis Daguerre was a French Painter who created “daguerreotypes” a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror.” With a subtle grin, Josie turns to Toni. “Now you’re totally stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad Face.” Josie repeats for a second time.

_ “Still a bitch…” _ Toni jokes

“Very good, Josie. The Daguerreian Process brought out fine detail in peoples’ faces, making them popular from the 1800’s onward.”

“ _ What if I rewind time and give him the right answer?” _

Toni rewinds for a 3rd time today.

“Now, Toni, since you’ve captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?”

“The Daguerreian Process” The small girl answers before Josie can jump in. “Invented by a French Painter… Louis Daguerre. Around 1830.”

“Somebody has been reading, as well as posing. Nice work, Toni.”

Toni gives herself a mental high five as Josie gives her an annoyed look. Yep… Still a bitch.

“The Daguerreian Process made portraiture hugely popular, mainly because it gave the subjects clear defined features. You can learn more when you actually finish reading the assigned chapters. Toni is so far, way ahead of everybody.

The bell rings

_ “Okay. Time to go save a girl.” _

“And guys, Don’t forget the deadline to submit a photo in the ‘Everyday Heroes’ contest. I’ll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you’ll be feted by the art world. It’s great exposure, and it can kickstart a career in photography. So, Betty and Melody, get it together. Veronica, don’t hide. I’m still waiting on your entry, too. And yes, Toni, I see you pretending not to see me.

“ _ Toni, you are NOT crazy. You are not dreaming. It’s time to be an everyday hero.” _

Toni tries to leave the classroom again and is stopped… again.

“I see you, Toni Topaz. Don’t even think about leaving here until we talk about your entry.”

Toni turns and walks toward her teacher.

“I’d never let one of photography’s future stars avoid handing in her picture.”

“I’m not avoiding, just…”

“Biding time, waiting for the elusive ‘right moment’?”

“Exactly!”

“Toni, don’t wait too long. John Lennon once said that “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. Go on now, don’t let me stop you.”

The girl rewind again

“Excuse me, Mr. Evernever, can I have a moment?”

“Yes, excuse you.” Josie snickered

“No, Josie, excuse us.” Mr. Evernever clarified

“I’d never let one of photography’s future stars avoid handing in her picture.”

“I’m on top of it!” Toni replied “ I think John Lennon once said that ‘Life is what you’re doing while you’re busy making other plans.” She says with a smile, knowing it's exactly what he’s thinking.

“Toni, you are on fire today. All the right answers. Good. Make sure you finish working on it by today. I have faith in you.”

Toni turns and leave the classroom.

_ “I hope I have enough time to get to the bathroom...please...please… I can’t tell anybody… they’ll think I’m crazy!” _

Toni rushes to the bathroom, trying to not look suspicious. She enters the bathroom and start retracing her steps.

“ _ I washed my face”  _ she washes her face _. “I shredded my picture…” _ she then tears up the picture. _ “Then the… butterfly flew in… And I took a photo…” _

The brunette takes a photo of the butterfly. Chuck and the other girl enter the bathroom.

“Leave them out of this, you bitch!”

“I can tell everybody Chuck Clayton is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-”

The gun comes out.

“You don’t know who the fuck I am or who you’re messing around with!”

“Where’d you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!

“ _ Wowser, it’s happening again.” Toni says to herself. _

_ “ _ Don’t EVER tell me what to do! I’m so sick of people trying to control me!”

“You are gonna get in hella more trouble for this than drugs.’

“Nobody would ever even miss your bitch ass would they?”

“Get that gun away from me psycho!”

Chuck kills the girl and drops his guns on the ground. He then starts to shake the girl and walk around the bathroom nervously while Toni says as still as humanly possible.

_ “Holy shit. I can't let this happen… If I can reverse time again, I can help her. _

Toni holds out her hand as she rewinds and she goes back moments before the girl’s death. She looks around trying to find a solution. She eyes the fire alarm.

“ _ I need a hammer to break it open.”  _ Toni starts looking frantically but hears a gunshot go off behind her. She rewinds again and looks under the maintenance cart, grabs a hammer from the floor and breaks the fire alarm glass with it. She then starts the fire alarm. Chuck stops pointing his gun at the tall girl and looks behind him.

“No way…” Chuck says in disbelief

The other girl knees him and pushes him to the floor.

“Don’t EVER touch me again, freak!”

She exits the bathroom. Chuck picks up his gun and notices pieces of Toni’s picture on the ground.

“Another shity day.” Chuck grunts. Chuck leaves the bathroom.

“ _ That did not happen!”  _ Toni thought  _ “This can not be real! I just saw a girl get shot and then saved her! What the fuck is going on? Do. Not. Freak .Out.” _

Toni steps into the hallway to go outside when the campus security walks toward her.

“Hey! Do you hear that fire alarm? That means you should be outside.” He said with a deep voice.

“I had to use the bathroom.”

“Girls always use that excuse.”

“Excuse for what asshat?” Toni returns

“For whatever you’re up to. Your face is covered in guilt.” He shoots back

“The alarm tripped me out!”

“The trip on out of here, missy. Or are you hiding something? Huh?” They share a burning stare which the principle interrupts.

“Thank you Mr. Blossom, the situation is under control. There’s no emergency here. Leave Ms. Topaz alone and please turn that alarm off since that's your job.” Mr. Honey and Toni have known each other for years. Him and her dad are friends and have been since high school. The security guard walks into the bathroom to shut off the alarm as Toni steps towards Mr. Honey.

“You okay, Toni? You look a little stressed.” He asks her gently 

“I-I’m just worried about my future.”

“You’re sweating pin balls. Is that all you;re thinking about? You can tell me anything, Toni, you know that.”

“ I just got sick in class… Um, female trouble-”

“Except you’re wandering around like a zombie. You think that’s the first time that line has been used on me?”

“I always walk like that! I live in a building with girls who can’t shut up for the life of them. You try sleeping with that.” Toni respines quickly. Mr. Honey laughs. “Yeah, I guess. Alright, get outta here kid.” He pats Toni’s back and sends her on her way

She finds her way outside. On her way down the stairs leading up to the building, she sees a bunch of missing persons posters for a girl named Heather Conway.

“ _ Man, that sucks. She’s really pretty.”  _ Toni snivelled to herself

“Hey, Toni. Come here a minute!” Mrs. Burble, her science teacher, called out

“Hey Mrs. B? What can I do for ya?” She says with a grin. Mrs. Burble is Toni’s favorite teacher. Sure, Mr. Evernever is famous and cool and all that other fun shit but Mrs. Burble was old fashioned. Which oddly, Toni could really respect. She IS using a camera that was first manufactured in the late 1940’s after all.

“Sorry to bother you, but I know everyone loves being asked to sign a petition, but would you hear me out. Toni nods. “Sure, I always have time for a good ole petition! What’s it for?” The woman smiles at her answer. “ Jason Blossom, our chief of security, wants to put surveillance cameras all around the campus. Halls, classrooms, gym, dorm rooms, etcetera. Riverdale Academy should be a high school, not a high security penitentiary!”

“ _ Jason Blossom… So that’s who that was.” _

“I agree 100%! Of course I’ll send it. I don’t mind security, but not… pure surveillance.”

“I knew you were my favorite student at Riverdale for a reason!” The teacher beamed.

“I have to get going, Mrs. Burble, but I’ll see you tomorrow! Good luck on the petition” Toni chriped. “Thank you, Ms. Topaz. You have a lovely day now!” Mrs. Burble always felt like a mother to Toni in a way… She always said the right things and could tell when Toni was having a bad day. Toni continues down the path to the dorm rooms when she receives a text from Jughead Jones, a fellow crime junker / photographer.

“Hey! That hard drive you wanted is in my dorm if you still want it! - Jugz.” Toni smiles at the nickname he gave himself. “Yeah thanks. I’ll stop by now. Won’t look through the computer ;).” 

"LOL!" He sent with a cat laughing gif. "Meet me in the parking lot after you're done! I have a surprise for you."

"Okey. omw" Toni sent back. She puts away her phone and heads for the dorms. "Jughead's flash drive... Here I come."


End file.
